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Facebook 'Likes' give your secrets away
tgdaily ^ | March 12, 2013 | Emma Woollacott

Posted on 03/12/2013 4:08:13 AM PDT by JoeProBono

Researchers at the University of Cambridge say that, using publicly-available Facebook Likes only, it's possible to get surprisingly accurate estimates of users’ race, age, IQ, sexuality, personality, substance use and political views.

"I am a great fan and active user of new amazing technologies, including Facebook. I appreciate automated book recommendations, or Facebook selecting the most relevant stories for my newsfeed," says said Michal Kosinski, Operations Director at Cambridge's Psychometric Centre.

"However, I can imagine situations in which the same data and technology is used to predict political views or sexual orientation, posing threats to freedom or even life."

The team analysed a dataset of over 58,000 US Facebook users, who volunteered their Likes, demographic profiles and psychometric testing results through the myPersonality application.

Facebook Likes were fed into algorithms and cross-checked with information from profiles and personality tests. The researchers then created statistical models able to predict personal details using Facebook Likes alone.

Their models, they say, proved 88 percent accurate for determining male sexuality, 95 percent accurate in distinguishing African-American from Caucasian American and 85 percent accurate differentiating Republican from Democrat. Christians and Muslims were correctly classified 82 percent of the time, and even relationship status and substance abuse could be accurately predicted between 65 and 73 percent of the time.

This information, though, didn't come from obvious Likes such as 'gay marriage', but relied on inference - aggregating huge amounts of less informative but more popular Likes such as music and TV shows........


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Computers/Internet
KEYWORDS: duh; facebook
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To: Future Snake Eater

That comment came from some one who states they’ve never been there and never will, sounded pretty silly to me.


21 posted on 03/12/2013 4:53:14 AM PDT by Dusty Road
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To: Ann Archy

Fed Gov’t warns contractors that FB is access hole for foreign worms and takeover of your platform.

You’ll never even know.


22 posted on 03/12/2013 4:54:25 AM PDT by G Larry (Which of Obama's policies do you think I'd support if he were white?)
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To: Ann Archy

I’ve never been on FB. Our daughter used it to keep her students up to date on assignments when she was a teacher. My wife keeps up with her and a few other close friends.


23 posted on 03/12/2013 4:55:31 AM PDT by Arrowhead1952 (Dims are stupid, period. End of conversation.)
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To: JoeProBono
I put this on my Facebook page:


24 posted on 03/12/2013 4:57:42 AM PDT by Joe Brower (The "American People" are no longer capable of self-governance.)
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To: Ann Archy

I use it to track people down all the time. Especially smart ass “intellectual” liberal types. You know - the guys that think they are smarter than you but share everything about themselves online because it’s all about me...me...me...: )

Thanks dumb a$$es especially for all the photos of yourselves, your friends, where you hang out and party, and what you like to do so I know where to find you...lol


25 posted on 03/12/2013 4:59:45 AM PDT by jsanders2001
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To: Ann Archy
“You don’t CALL your kids and grandkids???”

Exactly what are you trying to imply?

26 posted on 03/12/2013 5:04:43 AM PDT by Dusty Road
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To: Ann Archy

Oh Ann. You are so funny. You just have to be nasty sometimes. Lol.


27 posted on 03/12/2013 5:09:38 AM PDT by napscoordinator
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To: JoeProBono

It required “researchers” to do this?

Duh!
The things that I like tell you a lot about me - yeah - tells you what I like.


28 posted on 03/12/2013 5:30:51 AM PDT by I want the USA back
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To: RedWing9

Imagine how much more rounded a profile they could construct if Facebook had a button to click labeled “DIE YOU SCUM SUCKING DOG!”


29 posted on 03/12/2013 5:39:54 AM PDT by DManA
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To: JoeProBono

Anything you send over the Internet lasts forever. So be careful.


30 posted on 03/12/2013 5:48:35 AM PDT by duckman (I'm part of the group pulling the wagon!)
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To: JoeProBono

ridiculous


31 posted on 03/12/2013 5:53:57 AM PDT by envisio (Its on like Donkey Kong!!)
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To: JoeProBono

Facebook is nothing more than a giant data mining operation.


32 posted on 03/12/2013 5:58:42 AM PDT by Hacksaw
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To: Ann Archy
Do any MEN go on Facebook or is it strictly chicks?

I do. My family is spread all over the country and it's a great medium for keeping in touch when we can't be together. I play games with my grandkids, exchange pictures with my brothers and sisters and have caught up with some old friends. I don't put anything out there that I wouldn't want my grandkids to see.

33 posted on 03/12/2013 6:01:35 AM PDT by pgkdan ( "Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who do not." ~Thomas Jefferson)
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To: Ann Archy

me too.

there was this little wirey hipster guy that wanted to buy my hedge clippers.

He said “send me a friend request and I’ll email you my address and you can email me back and yada yada...”

I said “What in the samhell are you talking about? I’ll bring them to work tomorrow. You look at them. You say yes or no.”

But I am like you when someone says spacebook or myface I picture a 14 yearold girl glued to a computer or a dang cellphone every waking second of the day.


34 posted on 03/12/2013 6:04:09 AM PDT by envisio (Its on like Donkey Kong!!)
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To: JoeProBono

Apparently Americans like pictures of cats and news of siblings/nephews/nieces graduations/engagements/babies.


35 posted on 03/12/2013 6:07:54 AM PDT by Sirius Lee (All that is required for evil to advance is for government to do "something")
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To: cuban leaf

“””....and have facebook up in the background all the time (at work and home).””””

You do what you gotta do and knock yourself out. Ain’t none of my business but that existance would be pure hell for me.


36 posted on 03/12/2013 6:08:06 AM PDT by envisio (Its on like Donkey Kong!!)
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To: envisio

Ain’t none of my business but that existance would be pure hell for me.


For me it’s fun.


37 posted on 03/12/2013 6:09:03 AM PDT by cuban leaf (Were doomed! Details at eleven.)
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To: cuban leaf

I the only way you can put “Scion xB” and “men” in the same sentence is if the word “hipster” is in there too.


38 posted on 03/12/2013 6:14:16 AM PDT by envisio (Its on like Donkey Kong!!)
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To: JoeProBono

If it is on Facebook, it ain’t secret.

That said, Facebook doesn’t like “giving” anything away. It likes SELLING it.


39 posted on 03/12/2013 6:18:36 AM PDT by Little Ray (Waiting for the return of the Gods of the Copybook Headings.)
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To: envisio

I the only way you can put “Scion xB” and “men” in the same sentence is if the word “hipster” is in there too.


And musician.

I can transport three people comfortably to a gig while also carrying two basses, my bass amp and cab, cabling bag and mic and bass stands - and get over 30 mpg.

Also, I drive it in the vein of “real men are not afraid to wear pink. And, as my wife likes to point out, unlike guys in Corvettes and big 4x4’s, nobody thinks I’m compensating for something. ;-)

Oh, and my shoe size is 14. :-D


40 posted on 03/12/2013 6:27:38 AM PDT by cuban leaf (Were doomed! Details at eleven.)
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